What are living creatures made of? Why do we have to eat? The Chemistry of Life What are living creatures made of? Why do we have to eat? 2006-2007

Elements of Life 96% of living organisms is made of: carbon (C) oxygen (O) hydrogen (H) nitrogen (N)

Molecules of Life Put C, H, O, N together in different ways to build living organisms What are bodies made of? carbohydrates sugars & starches proteins fats (lipids) nucleic acids DNA, RNA

ATP Why do we eat? We eat to take in more of these chemicals Food for building materials to make more of us (cells) for growth for repair Food to make energy calories to make ATP ATP

What do we need to eat? Foods to give you more building blocks & more energy for building & running bodies carbohydrates proteins fats nucleic acids vitamins minerals, salts water

Don’t forget water Water Rest of you is made of carbon molecules 65% of your body is H2O water is inorganic doesn’t contain carbon Rest of you is made of carbon molecules organic molecules carbohydrates proteins fats nucleic acids

How do we make these molecules? We build them! 2006-2007

Building large molecules of life Chain together smaller molecules building block molecules = monomers Big molecules built from little molecules polymers

Building large organic molecules Small molecules = building blocks Bond them together = polymers

Building important polymers Carbohydrates = built from sugars sugar – sugar – sugar – sugar – sugar – sugar Proteins = built from amino acids amino acid – Nucleic acids (DNA) = built from nucleotides nucleotide – nucleotide – nucleotide – nucleotide

How to build large molecules Synthesis building bigger molecules from smaller molecules building cells & bodies repair growth reproduction + ATP

How to take large molecules apart Digestion taking big molecules apart getting raw materials for synthesis & growth making energy (ATP) for synthesis, growth & everyday functions + ATP

Example of digestion starch glucose Starch is digested to glucose ATP

amino acids = building block Example of synthesis amino acids protein Proteins are synthesized by bonding amino acids amino acids = building block protein = polymer

Old Food Pyramid

New Food Pyramid